1. Machu Picchu
As Peru’s most popular tourist attraction and one of the world’s most famous archaeological wonders, Machu Picchu is located 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) above sea level in the Andes Mountains. Although this magnificent Inca site provokes more mysteries than facts, it is believed that Machu Picchu was first built around the middle of the 15th century as a military fortress then later used as an estate for Inca royalty. Visitors can explore Machu Picchu and see well-preserved buildings that include houses, temples, fountains and baths in addition to agricultural terraces and evidence of an irrigation system.
2. Cuzco
Often serving as a popular base to explore nearby famous ruins like Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cuzco was the historic capital of the Inca Empire. Located in southeastern Peru, Cuzco one of Peru’s most important tourist destinations. A city steeped in history, Cuzco features many well-preserved buildings dating back to Inca and Spanish colonial times. The heart of the city is the main square, the Plaza de Armas, which is surrounded by restaurants, cafes and churches. Just outside the city limits is an important Inca site known as Sacsayhuaman, an enormous walled complex constructed of large limestone boulders.
3. Arequipa
One of Peru’s most visited cities, Arequipa is surrounded by three picturesque volcanoes in the country’s Southern Coastal region. Arequipa embodies a rich mix of the indigenous and Spanish colonial cultures. Examples of Spanish colonial architecture can be found throughout the center of the city. Among the most significant of these is the Santa Catalina Convent, which is often described as a city within a city because of its charming streets, colorful buildings and flowers. Arequipa is also the gateway to Peru’s most visited natural attraction, the Colca Canyon.
4. The Sacred Valley
Tucked under the tawny skirts of formidable foothills, the beautiful Río Urubamba Valley, known as El Valle Sagrado (The Sacred Valley), is about 15km north of Cuzco as the condor flies, via a narrow road of hairpin turns. Long the home of attractive colonial towns and isolated weaving villages, in recent years it has become a destination in its own right. Star attractions are the markets and the lofty Inca citadels of Pisac and Ollantaytambo, but the valley is also packed with other Inca sites. Trekking routes are deservedly gaining in popularity. Adrenaline activities range from rafting to rock climbing. Most activities can be organized in Cuzco or at some hotels in Urubamba.
5. Lima
As Peru’s capital and largest city, Lima is a sprawling metropolis constituting an architectural blend of pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern infrastructure. The city was founded in 1535 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and offers a rich history as well as exceptional food, a vibrant culture and lively nightlife. Lima’s historic district features the most interesting attractions with old churches, monasteries, Spanish palaces and one of the oldest universities in the Americas. Beaches at the north and south ends of the city are popular crowd-pullers, such as the popular Miraflores suburb that has an abundance of hotels and restaurants.
6. Iquitos
Iquitos is a unique city in that it is the largest city in the world inaccessible by roads, leaving planes and boats as the primary ways of entrance. However, that doesn’t stop it from being one of the most popular places to visit in Peru. Because of its location on the banks of the Amazon River in northeastern Peru, Iquitos is the gateway to exploring the Amazon. There are several tour companies and boat operations that assist people in exploring the Peruvian Amazon. Some of the most popular attractions along the river include butterfly farms, animal orphanages and protected nature reserves.
>>> Flights to Iquitos (DOM)
>>> Hotels in Iquitos
7. Nazca Desert
The Nazca Desert occupies a strip along the northern Pacific coast on a high arid plateau. The famous Nazca Lines are located between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. Created between 200 BC and 700 AD the figures range from simple lines to stylized spiders, monkeys, lizards and human figures. The dry, windless, stable climate of the Nazca Desert has helped keep the lines uncovered to the present day. Tour agents in Nazca offer round flights in a Cessna to view the lines. There is also an observation tower along the Pan-American highway with a view of three of the figures.
8. Trujillo
Stand in the right spot and the glamorously colonial streets of old Trujillo look like they’ve barely changed in hundreds of years. Well, there are more honking taxis now – but the city still manages to put on a dashing show with its polychrome buildings and profusion of colonial-era churches. Most people come here to visit the remarkable pre-Incan archaeological sites nearby, spending just a short time wandering the compact city center. The behemoth Chimú capital of Chan Chan is nearby. It was the largest pre-Columbian city in the Americas, making it the top attraction in the region. Other Chimú sites bake in the surrounding desert, among them the immense and suitably impressive Moche Huacas del Sol y de la Luna (Temples of the Sun and Moon), which date back 1500 years.
9. Máncora
Máncora is the place to see and be seen along the Peruvian coast – in the summer months foreigners flock here to rub sunburned shoulders with the frothy cream of the Peruvian jet set. It’s not hard to see why – Peru’s best sandy beach stretches for several kilometers in the sunniest region of the country, while dozens of plush resorts and their budget-conscious brethren offer up rooms just steps from the rolling waves. On shore, most of the action is focused on the noisy main street, with plenty of good seafood restaurants and international flavors to choose from. The consistently good surf and bath-tub-warm waters draw a sun-bleached, board-toting bunch, and raucous nightlife keeps visitors busy after the sun dips into the sea in a ball of fiery flames.
10. Puno
With a regal plaza, concrete block buildings and crumbling bricks that blend into the hills, Puno has its share of both grit and cheer. It serves as the jumping-off point for Lake Titicaca and is a convenient stop for those traveling between Cuzco and La Paz. But it may just capture your heart with its own rackety charm. Smoke from unvented fires wafts through Puno’s streets, along with jangling waves of traffic, including mototaxis and triciclos (three-wheeled cycles) that edge pedestrians to the narrow slivers of sidewalks. Its urban center can feel contaminated and cold. But Puno’s people are upbeat, cheeky and ready to drop everything if there’s a good time to be had. As a trade (and contraband) hub between Peru, Bolivia and both coasts of South America, Puno is overwhelmingly commercial and forward-looking. For a glimpse of its colonial and naval identity, you only have to peruse the spots of old architecture, the colorful traditional dress worn by many inhabitants and scores of young cadets in the streets. Puno is known as Peru’s capital folklórica (folkloric capital) – its Virgen de la Candelaria parades are televised across the nation – and the associated drinking is the stuff of legend. Good times aren’t restricted to religious festivals, though: some of Peru’s most convivial bars are found in Puno.
>>> Flights to Juliaca
>>> Hotels in Puno
Source: Touropia; Lonely Planet
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